19 Sheer Force

Lynne:

My heart sank as I watched Clay begin to shiver. He looked like he suddenly saw a ghost. His eyes glazed over, becoming unfocused. It was like his mind was drifting somewhere far away. I had never seen him look so scared before. Not like this. At this moment, he looked like he was staring his worst nightmare in the face.

I couldn't understand what happened. Clay was fine moments before. He got slashed, sure, but his eyes were filled with determination. Now he looked broken. Hurt.

"What are you doing!?" I shouted, whipping my head over to Cecelia. "The fight is over! Cecelia! Call it off! Call it off now!"

Cecelia turned to me, her teeth grit together. The look in her eyes, she looked shaken despite the fact that her face remained the same. She shook her head and with that simple gesture, tried to tell me what was going on.

At that moment, I understood everything. My father never intended to let Clay into this school. He was going to kill him, right here and now. No matter what happened, even if it was an obvious loss Cecelia would not stop the fight until Clay was dead.

I saw Clay wince and place his hand on his face like he was trying to cover his eyes. Like he was trying to hide from something. Trying to shake himself out of his current trance.

I could hear him grumbling something. "Please stop…"

My heart sunk at how small and fragile Clay's voice sounded. It cracked with each word. His breathing was laboured from his injury and I could tell with the way that he gripped his face something was very wrong.

Then he suddenly screamed.

Clay's voice ripped through my ears, through my heart and soul. I could feel tears spring to my eyes, even if I couldn't understand why. All I understood was that he was in excruciating pain.

"Clay?" I whispered, unable to manage a louder voice.

Even the surrounding strangers who were watching the fight suddenly looked worried and confused. "You're screaming now!? That's just pathetic!" Eyvind snapped, bringing his sword down on Clay's shaking body.

My legs moved on their own. I didn't even think about the repercussions of my actions. I just moved. I threw myself between them, unable to do anything but throw my arms up to defend myself from the oncoming sharp metal.

Inches before the blade pierced my flesh, it came to a dead stop. "What do you think you're doing?" Eyvind spat. "Throwing your life away for a broken pile of trash."

"That is enough, Eyvind!" I roared, placing my arms down and shooting him a piercing glance.

"Hmph… Whatever you say, Prince." He sneered, but his expression remained dark making me feel his compliance was only temporary.

However, there wasn't much else I could do. I looked back at Clay, my eyebrows knit as I saw he continued to shake. I've never seen him like this… What happened? It's like he suddenly forgot he could fight back.

"What is going on here?" I demanded, trying to make my voice sound firm and commanding.

"Your father… gave us direct orders to kill that man. Prince Charlton… You will have to step aside." Cecelia explained.

My blood boiled. I knew my father had complied with my demands too easily. I should have known he was up to something, I should have seen it coming. I just didn't think Clay would be so overpowered like this. I should have made him go back and choose a different weapon. Maybe then… I dunno… would things have been different?

Would a slave be able to match a nobleman who has trained in swordsmanship since birth?

No… no Clay is so much more than…

Clay could do anything he put his mind to.

I sunk down to Clay, placing myself on one knee. "It's ok. They won't hurt you. Let's treat those injuries of yours, ok?" I muttered to him gently.

I reached out towards him, placing my hand on his shoulder. As soon as my fingers grazed his skin, he jumped, swatting my hand away with a loud SLAP.

I felt a sting through my arm. His slap was hard enough to make me wince but the pain died down quickly. I could have sworn time slowed down as he stared up at me with his piercing eyes, like if I moved again he'd attack. The way he was looking at me, Clay seemed like he couldn't even see me.

Even though his eyes were staring into mine, there was no light in them. Maybe like he was sleepwalking. I felt like I needed to wake him up.

For some reason, Eyvind began to laugh. I looked back towards him, gritting my teeth together. "Rejected by a mere slave boy. You just risked your life for him too!" He mocked.

"Shut up, you... bully stereotype!" I snapped back. I wasn't sure if he shut up out of pure confusion or if that insult was just so bad that he needed a minute to process it. "He's obviously not himself right now! Something…"

My words died off as I turned back to Clay. He was frozen in place with a thousand-yard stare towards the ground.

"It's ok... You didn't have to win." I said.

That's when he suddenly looked up. His facial expression was now completely different. In the place of a scared boy was a wild beast thirsty for blood. This time my veins ran cold. I was speechless as I watched Clay leap from the ground and grab the swords he had dropped earlier.

"Clay!?" I shouted. "Stop moving! You're going to die!"

Despite his injury, the way he moved was even faster than it had been before. Catching Eyvind off-guard, he raised the two giant swords above his head and slashed them forwards. Eyvind reacted as quickly as he could, parrying the attack and pinning one of Clay's swords to the ground so he would be unable to lift it again.

Clay's eyes widened, but there was still no light reflected in them. Like his body was moving while he was unconscious. Eyvind went to slash Clay with his other sword, but without hesitation, Clay dropped the pinned sword and freed his other hand.

With a high kick, he used the sole on his shoe to stop Eyvind's blades. He had timed it just right, so that there was no momentum behind the swing, making it so Eyvind's blades did not pierce through to sole of his shoe.

Before Eyvind could apply any pressure, Clay flicked his ankle and stomped the blade to the ground, pinning it just as Eyvind had done with his sword earlier. Unlike Clay, Eyvind relied on that sword and did not let it go.

He was open.

Clay swung the sword in his hand towards Eyvind, but with pure muscle memory, Eyvind was able to parry with the blade that remained free. With the momentum the tip of Clay's sword clanked on the ground, but now both of Eyvind's swords were occupied.

That was when Clay stepped in, hard and fast with his entire body weight. He pushed off of the ground, putting so much force into his uppercut that his body left the ground. I could tell by the look on his face that Eyvind never thought somebody would use a fist in a sword fight. That was his mistake.

Clay's fist crashed into Eyvind's chin with enough force to send the boy flying back. I could tell by the way his body sunk that Clay's punch had him seeing stars. Before he could fall, Clay grabbed his collar, taking Eyvind's already limp body and throwing it over his shoulder.

Clay put all of his strength, all of his momentum into the throw making Eyvind's body smash into the ground. Eyvind coughed at the force of his back smashing into the hard surface. Before he could recover, Clay stomped hard on his head. With that combo, Eyvind was out cold.

Somehow, Clay had won… but with that cold look in his eyes, something told me that this wasn't the Clay I knew.